Johnson did not want Steele to capitalize on its significant size advantage Friday night, so it forced the Knights away from the basket.

The plan might have worked well for the Jaguars had the Knights not proved to be just as effective from the perimeter as they are in the post.

Steele made half of its 22 field goals from beyond the 3-point line - with 6-foot-8 Gerald Liddell and 6-6 Jayden Martinez accounting for five of those long-range shots - and pulled away for a 71-49 win in a Class 6A second-round playoff at Taylor Field House.

“They were really packing the paint, so my bigs were really helping us out by kicking it out whenever they had two and three people on them,” Steele point guard Troy Higgins said. “Open 3s are the easiest 3s.”

Now Playing:

Steele's Gerald Liddell and Troy Higgins, along with Johnson's Brody Ellingsworth, discuss the Knights' 71-49 win Friday in a Class 6A second-round playoff at Taylor Field House. Read the full story by Adam Zuvanich at MySA.com.

Media: Adam Zuvanich at MySA.com.

Higgins kick-started the 3-point barrage with three in the first quarter, finishing with four for the game and 14 points. Martinez scored a game-high 22 points. Liddell, a University of Texas signee, scored 10 of his 17 points in a pivotal third quarter.

Steele (32-2), No. 8 in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches rankings for 6A, advanced to the Region IV-6A quarterfinals for the third year in a row. The Knights will face No. 12 Austin Lake Travis (28-7).

Brody Ellingsworth, a 6-8 junior for Johnson (28-8), scored 16 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Zach Keller and Tyrese Rodgers added eight points apiece for the Jaguars, who trailed by only five at halftime but were outscored 23-8 in the third quarter.

“They made a lot of tough shots,” Ellingsworth said. “We came out slow and weren’t really ready for it.”

Wagner 73, Madison 53

DaRaun Clark’s 22 points helped the Thunderbirds rebound from a shaky playoff opener and breeze into the third round, but the defending Region IV-6A champion might have a tough time advancing any further.

Wagner’s Kevin McCullar, a 6-6 junior and major-college prospect, went down late in the third quarter with what coach Rodney Clark said is likely a season-ending left knee injury. McCullar, who scored 15 points, had to be wheeled off the court with his leg wrapped in a brace.

“He’s one of the best players on our team, and to have him go down, that hurts us a lot,” said Wagner point guard Jalen Jackson, who added 14 points. “Hopefully we can stay together, bounce back from it and make a run. I know he would want us to win, so we’ve got to win for him.”

Now Playing:

Wagner's Jalen Jackson and DaRaun Clark, along with Madison's Julius Nwosu, discuss the Thunderbirds' 73-53 win Friday in a Class 6A second-round playoff at Taylor Field House. Read the full story by Adam Zuvanich at MySA.com.

Media: Adam Zuvanich at MySA.com.

Wagner (29-6), the ninth-ranked team in 6A, will face No. 2 Austin Westlake (33-3) in the regional quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Tuesday at San Marcos. It’s a rematch of last year’s regional final, which the Thunderbirds won 55-53.

Julius Nwosu scored a game-high 24 points to lead Madison (26-7), which trailed by only five points at halftime despite falling behind by double digits in each of the first two quarters. But the Mavericks could not keep up in the second half and did not help themselves at the free-throw line, finishing 9 of 25.

“It was a huge factor,” Nwosu said. “If we would have made our free throws, it would have been a lot closer.”